1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wrong insertion prevention device for a cartridge type recording medium in a housing storage having a plurality of cells for housing a plurality of cartridge type recording media to be able to individually fetch them, and more particularly to a wrong insertion prevention device for a cartridge type recording medium suitable for a housing storage to be incorporated in a library device or the like for recording in and reproducing, an arbitrary cartridge type recording medium from among a plurality of cartridge type recording media.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, in a library device for recording in and reproducing, among others, an arbitrary cartridge type recording medium from among a plurality of cartridge type recording media, there is incorporated a housing storage for housing a plurality of cartridge type recording media to be able to fetch them. This housing storage has a cell main body comprising a plurality of cells for housing cartridge type recording media respectively, and each unit cell is provided with a wrong insertion prevention device for a cartridge type recording medium for preventing wrong insertion of the cartridge type recording medium into the cell.
As a wrong insertion prevention mechanism for a cartridge type recording medium of this type, there is one specified in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-180549.
The aforesaid wrong insertion prevention mechanism for a cartridge type recording medium is, as shown in, for example, FIGS. 9(A) and (B), installed for each of a plurality of cells 52 provided within a cell main body 50.
This mechanism will be further described in detail. In FIG. 9(A) , the cell main body 50 is formed like a -character in cross section, the lower part of which is opened, and is sequentially provided with a plurality of cell 52 areas in a direction perpendicular to the FIG. 9(A) within. Each of these cells 52 is partitioned by partitioning shelves 53 provided on both side walls at positions close to an opening 52a formed on the lower side in FIG. 9(A).
The wrong insertion prevention mechanism for a cartridge type recording medium installed within each cell 52 is configured by a pair of blade springs 51A and 51B installed on the both side wall portions of each cell 52 to oppose each other, and a deep partitioning member 54 provided on a deep inner surface (bottom surface) between each cell 52. The aforesaid blade springs 51A and 51B are arranged within the cell 52 in a mutually opposed state, and an engaging projection 51Aa or 51Ba is provided at the tip end of the blade spring 51A or 51B respectively.
Thus, when a cartridge type recording medium 60 is inserted into the cell 52 from the opening 52a in an ordinary state (normal state), medium-side inclined portions 60a formed at the tip end portion of this cartridge type recording medium 60 on both sides are to be inserted not to abut against the engaging projections 51Aa and 51Ba of the blade springs 51A and 51B as shown in FIG. 9(B), whereby the cartridge type recording medium 60 can be inserted to an appropriate housing position.
In contrast, when the cartridge type recording medium 60 is erroneously inserted with the front end thereof and the rear end reversed (that is, when the cartridge type recording medium 60 is inserted with its rear end turned toward the cell 52 side), its rear end bumps against the engaging projections 51Aa and 51Ba of the blade springs 51A and 51B halfway through the insertion of the cartridge type recording medium 60 as shown in FIG. 10 to thereby inhibit it from being inserted to the appropriate position.
Also, when the cartridge type recording medium 60 is obliquely inserted into the cell 52, the tip end thereof bumps against the deep partitioning member 54 halfway through the insertion as shown in FIG. 10(B). This inhibits the cartridge type recording medium 60 from being inserted into the cell 52. That is, when the cartridge type recording medium 60 is obliquely inserted with a difference in level, the insertion to the appropriate housing position within the cell 52 is inhibited.
Further, the conventional example shown in FIG. 11 shows that there is provided, on the side of the opening of the aforesaid cell 52, a door 55, on the inside of the tip end portion of which there is provided a contacting member 55a. In this case, in a state in which the cartridge type recording medium 60 has normally been inserted into the unit cell 52, the contacting member 55a of the door 55 is only brought into point-contact with the rear end portion of the cartridge type recording medium 60 as shown in FIG. 11, and the door 55 is completely closed.
In contrast, in the state in which the cartridge type recording medium 60 has been inserted into the cell 52 in the opposite direction, the contacting member 55a of the door 55 is brought into surface-contact with the tip end portion of the cartridge type recording medium 60 for abutting, and the door 55 is not completely closed. In this manner, the user can recognize the state in which the cartridge type recording medium 60 has been inserted into the cell 52 in the opposite direction.
However, in the aforesaid wrong insertion prevention mechanism for a cartridge type recording medium according to the conventional example, the cartridge type recording medium 60 is inhibited from being inserted into the cell 52 in the reverse direction with the provision of the engaging projections 51Aa and 51Ba on the blade springs 51A and 51B. Therefore, when the cartridge type recording medium 60 is further forcibly pushed in a state in which the rear end of the cartridge type recording medium 60 has been bumped against the engaging projections 51Aa and 51Ba, the blade springs 51A and 51B may possibly become deformed to widen the interval between projection portions 51Aa and 51Ba of the blade springs 51A and 51B, thus possibly allowing the cartridge type recording medium 60 to be inserted to the appropriate housing position. As a result, there have arisen inconvenience that it cannot be completely prevented to insert the cartridge type recording medium 60 into each unit cell 52 to the appropriate housing position in the reverse direction.
Also, in case of the cell 52 having the door 55, when the cartridge type recording medium 60 is further forcibly pushed in a state in which the rear end of the cartridge type recording medium 60 has been bumped against the engaging projections 51Aa and 51Ba, the contacting member 55a of the door 55 does not abut upon the tip end portion of the cartridge type recording medium 60, but the door 55 will be completely closed, and there arises a case where the operator cannot recognize that the cartridge type recording medium 60 has been inserted in the reverse direction.
Object of the Invention
By improving such inconveniences of the conventional example, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wrong insertion prevention device for a cartridge type recording medium particularly capable of reliably preventing a cartridge type recording medium from being inserted into each unit cell in the reverse direction.
In order to attain the above-described objects, there are provided: a wrong insertion detection means placed side by side with the cell main body for housing a plurality of cartridge type recording media, for detecting wrong insertion of any of the cartridge type recording media; and a door locking mechanism for operating on the basis of output information from this wrong insertion detection means to regulate a closing operation of the door for the housing case main body which has been opened during an insertion operation of the aforesaid recording medium.
Thus, there has been adopted a technique in which the aforesaid wrong insertion detection means is configured by: a reverse direction insertion regulating member installed within each unit cell of the cell main body; and an optical sensor mechanism for detecting a portion of the cartridge type recording medium, the insertion operation of which has been inhibited by the regulation of this reverse direction insertion regulating member, and, which, as a result, has protruded outwardly.
For this reason, when the cartridge type recording medium is erroneously inserted into the unit cell after the door is opened on inserting the cartridge type recording medium, the tip end portion abuts upon the reverse direction insertion regulating member of the wrong insertion detection means and the inserting operation is inhibited. At the same time, the portion of the cartridge type recording medium, which has projected outwardly, is detected by an optical sensor mechanism, and is outputted as wrong insertion information. When the wrong insertion information is outputted from this optical sensor mechanism, the aforesaid door locking mechanism operates on the basis of this information to regulate the closing operation of the door.
Therefore, the operator can immediately learn that the cartridge type recording medium has been inserted in the reverse direction without seeing the cartridge type recording medium, and it is possible to reliably and immediately prevent the cartridge type recording medium from being inserted in the reverse direction.
In this case, when the aforesaid wrong insertion detection means detects wrong insertion of the cartridge type recording medium, the aforesaid door locking means can be configured so as to have a closing operation inhibiting function for immediately operating on receipt of the information to inhibit the door for the housing case main body, which has been opened, from being closed.
When performed as described above, there arises such a clear state that the door cannot be closed although the cartridge type recording medium has been inserted into the cell main body, and for this reason, it is possible to reliably learn that the cartridge type recording medium has been inserted in the reverse direction.
According to the invention there has been adopted a technique in which the door locking means is configured by: a door open/close guiding mechanism for guiding the door on opening or closing by reciprocally pivoting it within a range of a predetermined opening with one end thereof as a fulcrum of rotation; a door guide locking mechanism placed side by side with this door open/close guiding mechanism, for locking the door guiding operation by the aforesaid door open/close guiding mechanism on the basis of wrong insertion information from the aforesaid wrong insertion detection means; and a lock mechanism driving unit for urging the operation of the door guide locking mechanism at predetermined timing.
For this reason, in addition to the same functions as specified, above further the door locking means is configured so as to be divided into the door open/close guiding mechanism; a door guide locking mechanism for locking the operation of this door open/close guiding mechanism; and a locking mechanism driving unit, and therefore, there is the advantage that the locking operation can be executed reliably and quickly.
The aforesaid door open/close guiding mechanism may be configured by: a supporting arm, one end portion of which is rotatively supported on the housing case main body, and the other end of which engages with the aforesaid door and rotates following the open/close operation of the door; and a guide rail for guiding the tip end portion of this supporting arm on moving along the door. When performed as described above, there is the advantage that the guide rail effectively functions to make the open/close operation of the door smooth.
The aforesaid door guide locking mechanism may be configured such that when the aforesaid door open/close guiding mechanism is at the maximum opening or in a state close thereto, there is provided a first locking function for locking the open/close operation of the door open/close guiding mechanism.
Further, the aforesaid door guide locking mechanism may be configured to have a second locking function for locking the open/close operation of the door open/close guiding mechanism immediately before the aforesaid door open/close guiding mechanism closes the door or when it is in a state close thereto.
When performed as described above, it is possible to set the door opened state in two different modes, and either of them cannot only be selected, but also when the operation has been completed in a state in which the door has been opened widely, it is possible to check whether or not the cartridge type recording medium is erroneously inserted only by learning whether or not the door is locked. Thus, the operating efficiency can be improved during maintenance and inspection.
According to the invention, there is adopted a technique in which the aforesaid door guide locking mechanism is configured by: a first stopper member for locking the open/close operation of the door open/close guiding mechanism when the aforesaid door open/close guiding mechanism is at the maximum opening or in a state close thereto; a second stopper member for locking the open/close operation of the door open/close guiding mechanism immediately before the door open/close guiding mechanism closes the door or when it is in a state close thereto; a linking member for setting a linking operation between the first and second stopper members; and a locking-side fixed pedestal for holding the supporting shafts of rotation of the aforesaid first and second stopper members and in which the aforesaid first and second stopper members set an operation restraining area for the supporting arm of the aforesaid door open/close guiding mechanism.
For this reason, two stopper members, first and second, can be driven by one link member driving unit, and therefore, there are advantages that the configuration is not only simplified, but also the operator can easily learn whether or not the cartridge type recording medium is inserted in the reverse direction irrespective of the opening of the door which has been set in accordance with the progress of the operation.
In the invention specified, there has been adopted the technique in which the aforesaid locking mechanism driving unit is configured by: a solenoid, which is a driving force source; a driving force transmission link for transmitting the driving force due to this solenoid to the aforesaid door guide locking mechanism; an original position return spring for returning the driving force transmission link to the original position; and a driving-side fixed pedestal for holding each of these portions.
For this reason, further the door guide locking mechanism can be reliably operated at predetermined timing, thus making it possible to improve the reliability of the entire device.